Thursday, April 16, 2020

SCHOOL CUTS RIGHT FROM MAYOR'S EXECUTIVE BUDGET

We went right to the New York City Mayor's Office page to see the Mayor's Executive Budget released today to see what the actual education cuts will be.

Here are the details:

 Education

  • Fair student funding reduction prioritizing schools that already have over 100% (DOE) - $100M in FY21
  • Operational savings in training, overtime, and materials at schools, central and field due to school building closures (DOE) - $100M in FY20
  • Professional Development reduction (DOE) - $67M in FY21 and outyears
  • Cuts to Summer in the City, Single Shepherd, College Access for All (DOE) - $49M in FY21 and outyears
  • Delay in 3K Expansion to districts in 1, 12, 14, and 29 (DOE) - $43M in FY21
  • Reducing the ATR pool by implementing a non-ATR hiring freeze (DOE) - $40M in FY21 and outyears
  • Temporary reduction of School Allocation Memoranda, which provides schools with funding to implement programming (DOE) - $40M in FY21
  • Temporary delay of new cohort of freshmen for CUNY ASAP program (CUNY) - $20M in FY21
  • Contract and supply reductions associated with arts programming in middle and high schools (DOE) - $15.5M in FY21 and outyears
  • Savings from delayed installation of air conditioners (DOE) - $10M in FY21
  • Monthly MetroCard underutilization for remaining 2 months of academic year (CUNY) - $6.8M in FY20
  • Eliminate District/Charter Partnerships program - $4.4M in FY21 and outyears
  • Eliminate supplies and materials used in Civics for All curriculum and programming (DOE) - $3.8M in FY21 and outyears
  • Adjustments to SONYC Afterschool budget (DOE) - $5M in FY21 and outyears
  • Savings achieved from anticipated low summer enrollment in CUNY Start Math program (CUNY) - $800K in FY20 and $1.6M in FY21
  • Scaling down contracts, technology curriculum and health education certification programming for teachers (DOE) - $1.8M in FY21 and outyears
If it is a real hiring freeze, it could actually greatly diminish the Absent Teacher Reserve pool to next to nothing with the only teachers remaining being in obscure licenses where there isn't much need for teachers. 

We'll see if this is just the first wave of cuts. 

Certain cuts are already being implemented at the school level as reported in Chalkbeat NY.

New York City has ordered schools to stop spending money that isn’t related to the coronavirus pandemic, a move that has created confusion among some school leaders and pushback from union officials. 

To be specific:

Schools may still spend money on a host of goods and services even as buildings are shut down, department officials said, including training to provide remote instruction, online materials, or even ordering art supplies to send to students’ homes.

They may also give teachers additional pay to tutor students, offer “Saturday academies” at struggling schools, or manage “mandated” services, such as those for students with disabilities or those learning English. Schools may also continue paying vendors to help students complete college applications or financial aid forms, according to guidance sent to principals.

But other spending that isn’t directly tied to the coronavirus or transition to remote learning is not allowed. That includes teacher training that isn’t related to virtual instruction. Other purchases, such as musical instruments and office supplies, are not allowed either.


The UFT reaction from a Michael Mulgrew statement:

“I don’t think cuts should be made without talking to the stakeholders,” he said in a statement. 

“Of course we don’t want to keep underused or repetitive professional development. But who is making that decision? Right now [the Office of Management and Budget] is making the decision — and they don’t have to deal with the impact,” Mulgrew continued. “Our mission is to protect funding that goes directly into classrooms and schools.”

Give him that seat at the table and he would be happy. 

59 comments:

  1. Wow, great comment by Mulgrew.

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  2. Wait till the principals dance around the ATRs. No oversight as usual.

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  3. Where were all the Mulgrew comments about waste of money over the past 10 years. What did he get changed?

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  4. So does this mean I can't get my transfer to a Staten Island school because of my salary this year? LOL. What was the reason the last 20 years?

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  5. I like the hiring freeze, but does that still guarantee all ATrs will get positions and will they still be considered atrs?

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  6. I took it right from the city government website. You know what I know 5:29.

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  7. It’s only a matter of time before it dawned on the DOE that this remote learning requires only a fraction of the labor force now employed. They can get prepackaged lessons distributed very easily in September and need very few teachers to disseminate them and supervise some sort of bullshit evaluation and assessment. The hand writing is on the wall and it ain’t pretty

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    Replies
    1. They are already getting your lesson plans. Next step, excesssing.

      Delete
  8. President Trump says schools are Phase 2 in reopening, with no date included. The guildeline states we should still maintain social distancing. I would like to know how I can distance on a packed train in Manhattan or in a gym, I am a PE teacher, with sweat, and no desks and chairs.

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    Replies
    1. Kids can earn pe credits in the park or the same way disabled or pregnant students earn PE credits via adaptive lessons.

      Delete
  9. Well, we knew the nyc school system has been a joke for years. Might as well fire half of us, make it an online system, same meaningless diploma, much less cost.

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    1. @6:13 pm: so it sounds like you're saying the teachers made their bed years ago. If students are still passing their classes at the same level as when they are in class, why the hell do we need so many teachers. Hmph

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  10. Students dont do anything or learn anything when they are in school. And many dont even show up, and still pass. Why pay 80,000 teachers for that?

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  11. How do we have 10 or less in a class?

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  12. Hi All - Does a Hiring Freeze mean that no new teachers will be hired? Or only new teachers with specific licenses like Special Ed will be hired?

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    Replies
    1. We do not know. DOE hiring freezes are known for their waivers. That's wh I stated, "If this is a real hiring freeze."

      Some of you seem to have a low opinion of what you do. That's rather depressing.

      Delete
  13. And they bust our balls, principals on our backs about this remote learning, then they come up with operation graduation, no harm grading, and everyone must pass. I hate to say it, the doe is right, they should fire us all. We dont matter. Anybody could just pass the time for 10 months and then pass everybody. If HS students are graduating HS unable to write a sentence, it makes no difference who stands in front of them. It is babysitting. It is a place for them to get their free lunch and hang out. Nothing else.

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    Replies
    1. @jr: yep. Some folks dug their own grave years ago by passing students who didn't deserve to pass. Time to pay up. I use to b@#$ch and say speak up as a team. Folks called me racist. Folks said they are collecting a check so what's the problem. They said the students don't want to learn anyway. I hate to say i told you so. Oh well , let's see how this plays out. Good luck.

      Delete
  14. Of course it's a scam. I speak to my principal about it everyday. How do people pass classes with 10% attendance? Nobody will listen to me.

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    1. @6:45 well some folks will have plenty of time to listen. Either they will be excessed or working so much that they will really have something to complain about.

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  15. Then don't do it 6:45. There should be a minimum attendance requirement to receive credit as there was for years until Joel Klein ended it.

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  16. I am 645 PM. I dont do it. But everybody else does. That is the point. We arent teaching, based on outcome. Students arent learning, based on outcome. Yet they all pass. That is why Edelman and Holden etc have investigated. So, it is the same outcome with remote learning.

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    1. Absolutely @6:45. You may not do it but so many of your colleagues do it. You become the oddity. Now everyone wants to "stand together " as one to fight the uft/doe. Good luck.

      Delete
  17. I read in the Post that in San Francisco, they are giving all students As. An A for everyone means an A for noone.

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  18. Who is stopping no harm grading or operation graduation?

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  19. No cuts for the army of DOE lawyers. No cuts to the triple tier of DOE Tweed bureaucrats. Just cut everything that directly affects teaching students, including air conditioners. Mulgrew’s reply will be, ‘Don’t complain, you’re lucky to have a job.’ If you get laid off, he’ll tell, ‘you you’re lucky to be alive.’ With him as UFT President, DeBlasio as Mayor, Cuomo as Governor and Trump as President, you are.

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  20. Be real. The expectation from the chancellor is that everybody passes. The uft has been notified repeatedly. They have been silent.

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    1. @7:09 and many so called teachers acquiesced. The doe can boot you and let a computer replace you. You may have helped yourself out of a job. If only you would have spoke up and developed a spine. Good luck

      Delete
  21. There's going to be a massive hole in the state budget and City budget due to this ridiculous lockdown. NYC will pay for this irrational fear.

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  22. Retirement incentive! 50/20 What do you think? Possible?

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    Replies
    1. That would get me out in a year and a half!

      Delete
  23. The nation’s largest school system had a budget of more than $30 billion this year and spends more per student than any other city in the country. And we have failed at everything. A complete farce.

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  24. You are part of that farce and have done nothing to stop it.

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  25. I would replace all of you who claim you just pass everyone.

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  26. Why would they give an incentive to retire? You all want to leave anyway.

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  27. I am working all day looking at assignments students are turning in. I do not know where some of you work but I can say that some of these comments are from disgruntled outliers and do not represent typical NYC teachers.

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  28. ATRs should be provided with options of sites available. Right the wrong that has been done.

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    1. The ATRS will probably take the position of the educators with less years. Good luck

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    2. The educators with less years. Nothing in the budget says there are layoffs. Perhaps we can all continue in our positions and placement of ATRS can be done based on retirement, people moving away or getting other posiitons. I am in the ATR status and know what it means to be young and starting off with a family and I also know what it means to have 20+ years with a mature family. We all need our jobs and hopefully find fulfillment in our positions. I wish everyone luck.

      Delete
  29. There is so much fat to cut in DOE budget. If we had a union, I would say we could easily win.

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  30. Incentive? That’s a laugh. Why would they pay you to leave when they can just lay you off?

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  31. It's happening. The check has arrived. Time to settle up teachers who decided to go along to get along with the DOE. Fake teaching = replaced by computer. Good luck. Im going to stay with the UFT...i will leave in 20 years. They love retirees.

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  32. Why not make it a 4 day school week like some other parts of the copuntry already have? They could pay us all 80% of our salary. That would save a huge sum.

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  33. Does this mean I'm not getting a job in Staten Island for the 21st year in a row?

    The Open Market Transfer System opens this week, but we ask school leaders to keep in mind the new school-based hiring restrictions and budget reductions when thinking through staffing needs for the upcoming school year.

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  34. I agree with firing the teachers who pass everyone. They're not real teachers anyway.

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  35. The DOE is not going to be the only one cutting budgets!!

    SCREW THE UFT opt-out in 45 days

    Let's see how impossible the UFT is going to make opt-out this year unless James comes through!!!

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  36. I figured out how to opt out all by myself.

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  37. I believe you can opt-out of union dues beginning June 1st.

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  38. Hey 1116,

    Hate to break it to you, but even if kids go to summer school, it means nothing. They like summer school and get passed for showing up.

    I have scored ela exams and regents and have been told to ‘give the kid the benefit of the doubt and score up.’

    So, for years, there are many ways for kids to pass with doing less. It is what it is.

    I’ll try my best, prepare lessons and do my best teaching.

    But, at the end of the day, I will pass everyone. I do not need to be written up and harassed by an AP. Been there. Done that.

    I’m retiring within the next year or two and don’t see the point of fighting fights I cannot win.

    Do your best, but at the end of the day, it’s a job.

    Bloomberg killed being a city teacher.

    Also, we need to remember that if a kid or a group of kids don’t like you, they make up bogus statements and you are called into the office. Then, if the principal likes you or thinks you are a nice guy and a team player, you do not get in trouble. If you are an antagonist and a complainer, be prepared for 3020. I have see. It occur.

    I’m not saying it’s right. I’m saying it’s true.

    I have also seen the health of colleagues deteriorate from increased battles. It isn’t worth it.

    Try your best, but swallow your pride.

    Work smart. Not hard.

    God bless!

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  39. Veteran advice said

    Also, we need to remember that if a kid or a group of kids don’t like you, they make up bogus statements and you are called into the office. Then, if the principal likes you or thinks you are a nice guy and a team player, you do not get in trouble. If you are an antagonist and a complainer, be prepared for 3020. I have see. It occur.

    Happened to me second to last year. The kids love you one day and the next day they're going to get you fired.

    I fought back with all my might and the backed off. Definitely effected my health but I knew I had to preserve my life long pension income and benefits. The admins come at you hard hoping you resign. They have no evidence and statements by kids and paras are totally contrived.

    Lesson learned. Be more careful out there in doe land. The target is on your forehead if you are not clearly an add kisser.

    Peace

    Retired 55/25 2019

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  40. You can opt out at anytime but you must opt out by June in order to stop paying right away. If you opt out after June you would have to pay for another 12 months.

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  41. Does this mean the DOE has a hiring freeze - no new Math or Social Studies teachers hired from the outside? Does this apply for Special Ed? If you were formally in the DOE but not currently does the freeze apply to you (I would assume it would).

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  42. BREAKING: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker will order that the state’s schools remain closed for the rest of the school year due to the coronavirus crisis,
    @chicagotribune
    has learned.

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  43. NYCschools
    families: if you filled out a survey to request a device for your student please note that the DOE will never ask for any payment in response to this request. All the devices are granted on a temporary basis at no cost. And they will never be returned.

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  44. We've all seen the schools budget in New York City grow year after year but has anybody actually seen evidence of this their schools? I doubt it. But we all have seen evidence of the growing bureaucracy with the thousands of acronyms and new methods and Danielson and on and on and on. So New York City can easily cut 20% of the education budget without any effect on the classrooms at all. That's a no-brainer. Will it happen? LOL I've been around too long

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  45. For schools to function you need teachers, classrooms, students and a couple administrators per school. Those are the basics. The rest is fluff and politics - about half of the annual education budget.

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    Replies
    1. @12:43pm... the doe and public may think differently about your formula. When the DOE and public see how academically well the students did along with the attendance improvement they may come to a different conclusion.

      Delete
  46. want to save fucking moneyyyyy hmmmmmmm? 20 year buyoutssssss, stop worrying about 25/55, if you reach 25 years and you are 48, buyout!!!!! Watch how many 20 year teachers leave! I bet you can even offer cheap buyouts for 15 year too!

    1. cut all the worthless lawayers
    2. cut the dead wait coaches
    3. cut the admin who have been removed and have cushy jobs
    4. cut 1/3 central doe

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